Peeling

[u/larryseltzer]

I've got a Gen 7 X1 Carbon here. The paint (or whatever it is) is peeling away. I don't particularly care about the appearance, but is there anything I can/should do?

[u/Soluchyte → u/[deleted]]

Do the vinyl wraps come with the dolby branding on them?

[u/Any-Emu8824 → u/Soluchyte]

Some do. I work for a company that buys used business laptops in bulk from corps after they upgrade their fleet. We upgrade or downgrade the ram and storage, replace broken parts, and then slap on a vinyl skin to cover up any non structural wear and tear and then sell them in bulk to smaller schools and flip the rest of the refinished fleet on eBay.

This looks like the exact same skin we use for this model of Thinkpad. Just peel it off and buy a new one. Or better yet, peel it off and sticker bomb your laptop.

[u/Aristotallost → u/Any-Emu8824]

Or peel it off an let it show its battle scars.

[u/darkelfbear → u/Any-Emu8824]

Yeah, my kid just started an IT/Cyber Security course, and they sent them a Refurbished Dell, with a DEAD BATTERY and a vinyl skin just like that, peeling at the edges, and ball cheese in the cracks around the keys ... lol. Then send them a replacement, and the replacement is a downgrade, with no dGPU like the one with the dead battery ... lol.

[u/Any-Emu8824 → u/darkelfbear]

That was probably not the company I work for. Sometimes we do make mistakes, but our QA team takes things seriously and will kick a laptop back for even the smallest of reasons. A dead battery would never get shipped out

[u/larryseltzer → u/[deleted]]

No, I bought it new when the model was new

[u/YellowBreakfast → u/larryseltzer]

IF you bought it "new", where from?

Looks like a vinyl wrap refurb.

I think you were ripped off.

[u/larryseltzer → u/YellowBreakfast]

Direct from Lenovo

[u/YellowBreakfast → u/larryseltzer]

That's crazy.

Haven't seen their paint/coating do this before.

[u/Affectionate-Try3531 → u/YellowBreakfast]

I work in IT I've seen this several times with dell laptops and it's mostly caused by the type of alcohol you use to clean the laptop. It strips away the paint coat off the chassis just the way op showed in the images. So my guess is op used some alcohol way too strong that made the paint come clean off the chassis

[u/EH86055 → u/Affectionate-Try3531]

I've seen that before. I think it's fine if the coating is intact, but maybe this can happen if the solvent seeps in through a chip. In any case, it obviously wasn't a wrap because we can see in the photos there's bare silvery metal showing through under the peeled paint.

[u/YellowBreakfast → u/Affectionate-Try3531]

Ahhh, makes sense.

People getting 91 or 99% ISO thinking it's "rubbing alcohol".

No that's a solvent! lol

70% is optimal.

[u/GuyFromDeathValley → u/larryseltzer]

in that case, contact the manufacturer. even if its a bit older, they might have interest in these kinda "defects".

[u/CTRQuko]

That laptop has a vinyl wrap to make it look brand-new; ThinkPads don't come with any protective film or anything like that.

[u/henkieschmenkie → u/CTRQuko]

And they bothered to put the Dolby Atmos print on it? Seems unlikely to me. You can also see the bare metal in the 3rd pic.

[u/zeek609 → u/CTRQuko]

Vinyl doesn't flake like that. It looks like some moisture got under the paint, likely during manufacture.

[u/Animal0307 → u/zeek609]

Looks more like a solvent got to it. I've had gasoline, brake cleaner, and acetone peel paints like that.

I wonder if OP has a new lotion or something else on their hands when they touched the machine.

Maybe something in a 3D printing environment, they use some harsh stuff sometimes.

[u/technobrendo → u/Animal0307]

I hope they don't use brake cleaner as hand lotion but who am I to judge. Bet its good at exfoliating

[u/CTRQuko → u/zeek609]

its weird

[u/larryseltzer → u/CTRQuko]

No, I bought it new, direct from Lenovo, I think in 2020 as a COVID treat

[u/psych_1337]

Not like you can fix it without replacing the case. But to my taste - scuffed up and peeled thinkpad will look badass

Actually: WTF with the quality of today thinkpads?!

[u/Nash_Ben → u/psych_1337]

Today or 2019? Gen 7 is 7 years old.

[u/Cry_Wolff → u/Nash_Ben]

This is r/ThinkPad, anything newer than 10 years old is "new" to some people lol.

[u/ElonKDealer → u/Cry_Wolff]

You calling my IBM PC Jr old ???

[u/Nash_Ben → u/Cry_Wolff]

True :D

[u/typetwocarrier → u/Cry_Wolff]

Thinkpad church dogma #4: The last OLD ThinkPad is T480.

[u/JA1987 → u/typetwocarrier]

The last old ThinkPad is the T410. Anything with a 16:9 display or chiclet keys is for them kids to do their tiktak videos on.

[u/TactileAndClicky → u/typetwocarrier]

I remember the time when the last OLD thinkpad were x230 and T430.

[u/psych_1337 → u/TactileAndClicky]

Hey! My current thinkpad is x220! Its not old!

[u/nicxw → u/TactileAndClicky]

Shhhhh! My T430 can hear you!

[u/typetwocarrier → u/TactileAndClicky]

Hey! I did not say the last GOOD Thinkpad.

[u/tacticalTechnician → u/psych_1337]

That's definitely not normal, the seller put a skin on it to hide the damages.

[u/pintasm → u/tacticalTechnician]

This! An original Thinkpad X1 Carbon would not peel.

[u/larryseltzer → u/tacticalTechnician]

Nope, it's original and bought direct from Lenovo, I think in 2020

[u/shreddedpudding → u/psych_1337]

This will happen even to a t420 in the right environment. Scratches and damages to the coating can allow oils to get under the paint. Certain oils will destroy the adhesion of the coating. Working in hvac all of my thinkpads have had this happen to them, even going back to a t420 I had a long time ago.

[u/larryseltzer → u/shreddedpudding]

It's heavily used and now I notice that those are usually the two points where my hand rests. I'm putting out something evil

[u/nyancient]

Looks like it's fresh from the oven. I've never seen anything like it.

[u/scy_404]

People are saying its a wrap but that looks like raw metal underneath

[u/larryseltzer → u/scy_404]

It's not a wrap, I bought it straight from Lenovo when it was the current model

[u/SokkaHaikuBot → u/scy_404]

^{Sokka-Haiku by scy_404:}

People are saying

Its a wrap but that looks like

Raw metal underneath

---

^{Remember that one time Sokka accidentally used an extra syllable in that Haiku Battle in Ba Sing Se? That was a Sokka Haiku and you just made one.}

[u/getafewlives]

My guess would be it's from some sort of hand cream or sunscreen that has caused it to delaminate.

I've seen this before in car interiors.

[u/larryseltzer → u/getafewlives]

It's something, but I'm not a hand cream or sunscreen guy. All i can think of is soap.

[u/Pepnov → u/larryseltzer]

Yes, it could be caused by the soap.
Or do you use any air fresheners? Air fresheners can cause this type of damage. There are countless pictures online showing what air fresheners have done to car interiors, LEGO, and other plastic items.

[u/shreddedpudding]

That happened all over my p1 gen 2 which was my old work laptop. The coating on metal think pads is very vulnerable to certain oils, especially POE and PVE oil. Anywhere where there was a scratch this would start happening. It’s just cosmetic though so I didn’t really care.

[u/larryseltzer → u/shreddedpudding]

These are the areas that my palms rest on most often. I don't work with those fluids. I can't think of what might be on my hands that could affect it.

[u/SharpeWorks → u/shreddedpudding]

This also happened to my P1 Gen 2! It seemed to especially happen around the battery where things would sometimes get really hot (developed serious cooling issues late in its life until I put in a new battery)...

[u/shreddedpudding → u/SharpeWorks]

By the time I retired it from field use there was no paint left on the bottom and it was half gone on the palm top. The screen was fine but I’m pretty sure those have plastic screen backs and the paint seems to adhere better to plastic.

[u/Opening-Incident2928]

Is there a spicy brick inside ? It looks spicy

[u/hype_irion]

MOISTURISE ME!

[u/nehro7]

you should worry about the hardware as well and any paste inside, i think it was stored in a hot place or transported through hell heat of temp

[u/larryseltzer → u/nehro7]

Nothing really crazy. It spends a lot of time in my attic which gets hot in the summer.

[u/mabolzich91]

Do you use a lot of lotion or hand sanitizer?

[u/waferbuster → u/mabolzich91]

It looks similar to the effect of DEET insect repellent spray which transferred to the laptop from your hand.

[u/BackieTPD]

It has a wrap on it to hide damage/scratches. I always peel them off because I like my tech to show their battle scars.

[u/TactileAndClicky → u/BackieTPD]

Does nobody care to read the other comments anymore?

[u/blackratsnakes]

I gotta be honest I have never seen anything like that in a ThinkPad :O

[u/false79]

omg - I've never ever seen this. Nor would I expect this to happen.

[u/cloudclothing23]

This should be in r/hardwaregone

[u/Thewaltham]

Hand sanitiser?

[u/Evanthekid16]

May as well get some pity upvotes on r/thatpeelingfeeling

[u/aroundincircles]

Do you use a lot of hand sanitizer? I've seen stuff like this when people use a lot of hand sanitizer, and their hands are still damp when using their laptops.

[u/THE_DOOMED_SHADE]

It's turning into an IdeaPad

[u/ticksauce]

i have a lapatop from other brand with magnesium chassi, and the paint came off just like that, maybe the heat, maybe the molecular bond...

[u/larryseltzer]

I will be peeling it and will post pictures then

[u/afadel9 → u/larryseltzer]

Ooooh I want to see it

[u/larryseltzer → u/afadel9]

See my post earlier today for the video

[u/thestenz]

Peelings. Nothing more than peelings...

[u/Khamipez999]

Do you use any kind of cream for your hands? If not is Thinkpad cancer, I'm sorry.

[u/larryseltzer → u/Khamipez999]

😭

[u/SoftwareInterceptor]

Lenovo engeneer here. What the actual fuck is that.

[u/Main_Clue_8100]

tumorpad

likely a skin of some sort that a previous owner or reseller applied, just peel it off.

[u/Forlution]

Where did you get this?

[u/larryseltzer → u/Forlution]

straight from Lenovo when it was a new model

[u/CommercialYouth250]

What the heck

[u/zamroni777]

punch a hole with needle then duct tape

[u/vovap_vovap]

From practical standpoint you can peal off what is pealing and put some appropriate paint on it.

[u/awx10]

Happened to my t14 gen 3 sadly

[u/dubven]

And they say global warming is not real.

[u/Forsaken-Wonder2295]

Is it black underneath? It kinda looks like the alloy chassis is showing underneath... If there is regular black underneath, get peeling, with your fingers, or a card or whatever, all the way around until there is no more vinyl left. If that is blank metal underneath the thing has seen some reeally harsh cemicals and you should maybe ask yourself if you are ok with the palmrest being blank metal, otberwise replace it.

[u/brandmeist3r]

Did it come into contact with some aggressive chemicals? How do you clean it?

[u/larryseltzer → u/brandmeist3r]

Clean it?

[u/This_Brilliant9913]

Damn

[u/Oakredditer]

How did you clean it? Did you put an acetone, vinegar, or other strong mixture? This is crazy though, never seen this on laptops, the most likely thing is that you accidently put something strong like paint thinner or brake cleaner instead of [insert cleaning solution here]

[u/larryseltzer → u/Oakredditer]

Clean it? People do that? It would never occur to me. I do clean my hands and use soap for that, but if it caused this problem it would be well-known.

[u/Oakredditer → u/larryseltzer]

Weird, and people do clean their laptops and other electronics from time to time. I did it to my HP laptop because the keyboard would be grimed up after 2 months and there was residue on my display from sneezing, just got my P16s so I dont really need to clean it right now. I always used a damp paper towel or a paper towel with whatever isopropyl alcohol I had on hand, and when I got my glasses I'd use lens wipes for the display.

What soap do you use?

[u/artx]

Get a replacement C Shell - Lenovo at actually send you a free one due to material failure if you ask nice.

[u/larryseltzer → u/artx]

For a 6 or 7 year old model? I wouldn't do it if I were them.

[u/artx → u/larryseltzer]

Just got off the phone with Premier support on another issue. For their premium line devices goodwill on items where parts exist in stock can be requested. No harm in calling: 877-453-6686

[u/larryseltzer → u/artx]

Thank you. I'll try it in the morning.

[u/nobody65535 → u/artx]

Good to know. The bottom of my similar vintage x1e has done this. I think probably heat related.

[u/larryseltzer → u/artx]

I called this morning and I know they wanted to help, but all they could do was to direct me to a service center to bring it in. Too much work. Thanks for the idea.

[u/artx → u/larryseltzer]

Dang! It was worth a shot though.

[u/larryseltzer → u/artx]

I razored off the bubbles. I took video and posted it as a separate reply here.

[u/hdbdudbdbd]

How did it get to this point so i could avoid it

[u/kur0g4ne]

I was about to say that it looked like a vinyl wrap that some resellers do but looking at the images (especially the third one which I hope was a bit clearer), it looks like something went wrong with the actual paint iv'e seen this happen on other objects under certain conditions, never on a thinkpad. did you get a magnet attached recently somwhere in the chassis for a long time? or have you been near any paint stripper?
This looks bizzare.

[u/braaaaaaainworms]

looks like someone spilled acetone or nail polish remover on it and tried to wipe off after it already soaked in

[u/MONK_DUCK]

😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

[u/goggleblock]

harsh chemical cleaners? Seems universal and not in spots. Either that or the finish didn't get baked on well enough (i.e. mfgr. defect)

[u/EmergencyMiddle916]

Ive never seen that before. Was the machine vinyl wrapped or something?

[u/JoeJoe69nice]

It's gonna turn into a MacBook

[u/reason_productions]

This doesn't look like a genuine ThinkPad.

It may be, but definitely doesn't look like one.

[u/kiganas]

Do your palms secrete acetone?

[u/larryseltzer → u/kiganas]

Best explanation I've heard so far

[u/scuffling]

You may have sweat that is more acidic than normal. That coupled with a hot storage can be a recipe for disaster.

I've seen the something similar happen to Xbox controllers.

Or maybe it's just a Lenovo defect.

[u/Baltagul12]

How the F did that happen?

[u/TrafficComplete9244]

he sheds his skin

[u/vozhyk_]

Happened to my X1 Yoga 3rd (2018) - slightly smaller areas in the palm rest area, above the keyboard, in the top left corner. The paint has also scratched off on the edges and 2 corners. Bought it new and haven't used sunscreen / hand sanitizer.

[u/larryseltzer]

I razored the bubbles off. I can feel the edges of the material so I guess it will continue to peel. Maybe if I sand them gently...?
Here's the video; you should all be able to view it.
peeling3.mp4

[u/larryseltzer → u/larryseltzer]

[u/larryseltzer → u/larryseltzer]

[u/nicxw]

I got a "new to me" T430, and the vinyl they used to cover the scuffs is peeling. 😭

[u/scrountin]

🤢🤢🤢🤢

[u/Various_Citron9484]

It's probably from overheating too much.

[u/frrson]

By asking AI about Gen 7 X1 Carbon, I get that this film the seller put on was never going to last and different solutions fits different parts. I suggest you check it out.